The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-01-28
Captain a. w. creeIy
XLIXth CONGRESS- SECOND SESSION
SENATE.
WAsnINnrnN lam

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27.
Mr.. Cullom stated that on Wednesday,
February 9th, he would offer proper resolu-
tions and ask the Senate to take action
with reference to the life and services Of his
late colleague, Senator Logan.
Mr.. Wilson of Iowa, from the committee
ON postotiices, reported back the bill intro
duced by Mr.. Edmunds, Dec. TO- 1885, to pro-
vide for the establishment of postal tee-
. graphic system with substitute which he
stated consisted of the IL first sections, re-
ported by the p0stoffice committee of the
48th Congress. Calendar.
Mr.. COckrell offered resolution which
was adopted, calling on the secretary of war
for report as to the lumber of claims filed
in the war department under the act of June
3, 1884, in regard to the muster Of volunteers
Mr.. CullOm offered the following resolu-
ton which was adopted:
Whereas, Since March 81, 1885, the secretary
OF the treasury, in his monthly statements has
treated the fractional silver coin in the treasury
as no portion of the cash balance available there
fore,
Resolved, That the finance committee of tie
Senate be authorized and directed to examine in
70 TINS subject andTeport whether additional leg
lslation is requisite to make the fractional silver
coin now held in the treasury part of the availa-
BILE cash balance, and also whether ii will be or
not judicious TO provide for having such fractional
silver coin recoined into standard silver dollars.
After long discussion it was agreed that
the railroad attorney bill be made the unfin-
ished business, and that it come up at 2
" ttOCh buiuOiIOW, anu hOucC Dlll lOT THE
relief of dependent parents and honorably
discharged soldiers and sailors, who are now
disabled and dependent upon their own la
Dor for support, was taken up.
Mr.. Mitchell advocated the bill. 1t COW
cred, he said, the same question on which
the Senate had taken action twice within
the last two years. But the House bill did
not go nearly so far on this one subject of
pensioning disabled Union soldiers as both
Of the bills passed by the Senate He might,
therefore, state as the sense at least of the
Republican side of the Senate that this bill
was not entirely satisfactory, but they were
satisfied that it would do great deal of
good. and they were willing to accept what
they could get this time
Mr.. Frye asked him whether either of the
Senate bills had proposed to pension all sol
dlers Of all wars which this country had been
engaged in.
Mr. Mitchell replied in the negative that
the bills had related only to the late war.
Mr.. Frye asked whether this bill did not
pension all soldiers engaged in the Seminole,
Mexican and other wars entirely regardless
as to whether they had subsequently gone
into the rebellion against the government.
Mr.. Mitchell replied in the Affirmative. and
said disabilities Incurred in the service of
the rebellion were excepted.
Mr.. Frye suggested that the bill would
open the door to serious trouble. IL man
who had served in the rebel army was dis
abled by rheumatism or any chronic disease
1t would be utterly impossible to determine
whether disease was contracted while serving
in the rebel army or not.
Mr.. Mitchell admitted there would be a
difficulty in administering the law in such
cases.
If it were an original question he would
not be inclined to go so far on that point as
this bill went, but 1t appears that this time
Congress ought TO be willing to put on the
pension roll men who had even served in the
rebel army, If they could satisfy the govern
ment that the disability under which they